Feb 9, 2019, 3:52 pm
Last edit by: swag
It's out now: https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change
PDF of properties sorted by brand: https://lacek.hs.llnwd.net/e2/marrio...ogram=marriott
PDF of properties sorted by brand: https://lacek.hs.llnwd.net/e2/marrio...ogram=marriott
Annual Award Category Changes - Effective March 5, 2019.
Mar 14, 2019, 6:40 pm
#241
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
I had a future reservation jump from 240,000 to 340,000 on March 5. I decided to wait until today to call after I had points post to my account so I would actually have the original 240,000 available.
It was actually quite painless after I finally got to an actual person to have them credit me enough miles to book at the new 340,000 rate. Interestingly although the rate increased 100,000 points, they would only credit me 90,000 since I already had 250,000 in my account and the booking required 340,000. I mentioned that did not seem right, but did not figure it was worth arguing about.
So if any of you are considering calling to ask about rate change, you may want to do it before you actually have enough miles in your account to book at the original rate.
It was actually quite painless after I finally got to an actual person to have them credit me enough miles to book at the new 340,000 rate. Interestingly although the rate increased 100,000 points, they would only credit me 90,000 since I already had 250,000 in my account and the booking required 340,000. I mentioned that did not seem right, but did not figure it was worth arguing about.
So if any of you are considering calling to ask about rate change, you may want to do it before you actually have enough miles in your account to book at the original rate.
Mar 14, 2019, 6:46 pm
#242
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,911
This does not sound right. I have a cat 4 reward on PA which has since jumped up to cat 5 and am waiting for my free night cert to post (in two months). I do have enough points but I want to use the certificate! If they pull points my account at all for this I will be properly pissed.
Mar 14, 2019, 6:50 pm
#243
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
this sucks. I will probably not renew my Marriott credit card if that’s the case...
Mar 14, 2019, 9:49 pm
#245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,738
This is some NEW mess reported on Reddit - on the reservations that already have certs attached, LONG BEFORE the property went up in category The reservations were booked LAST YEAR WITH CERTS ATTACHED!
Marriott canceling my award nights that were already booked.
https://www.reddit.com/r/awardtravel...hts_that_were/
(the link is broken by FT, you can manually fix it if you want to read the original post).
Long story short, end of last year I booked a night at the ritz and a night at the St. Regis in Bal Harbour Miami for mid April, for 60k points each and used two 60k certificates. Today I get informed is that those nights are now 85k points each and they are cancelling my reservation and booking a new one that I have to pay for by tomorrow. I have already booked airfare. Surely they cannot do this right!? I sent a dm on twitter. St Regis is being no help when I contact them.**********update They apologized and fixed it.
Thanks for all the help!
The real kicker was an email saying that I would be booked at full rate in 24 hours!
13 points · 1 day ago
I dm’d bonvoy help and Marriott, with screen shots and tweeted TPG. I landed in Mexico today with terrible cell service so if I can’t get anything done I’ll blow up the phones next week. I was excited to be platinum this year
Score hidden · 1 hour ago
Marriott canceling my award nights that were already booked.
https://www.reddit.com/r/awardtravel...hts_that_were/
(the link is broken by FT, you can manually fix it if you want to read the original post).
Long story short, end of last year I booked a night at the ritz and a night at the St. Regis in Bal Harbour Miami for mid April, for 60k points each and used two 60k certificates. Today I get informed is that those nights are now 85k points each and they are cancelling my reservation and booking a new one that I have to pay for by tomorrow. I have already booked airfare. Surely they cannot do this right!? I sent a dm on twitter. St Regis is being no help when I contact them.**********update They apologized and fixed it.
Thanks for all the help!
The real kicker was an email saying that I would be booked at full rate in 24 hours!
13 points · 1 day ago
I dm’d bonvoy help and Marriott, with screen shots and tweeted TPG. I landed in Mexico today with terrible cell service so if I can’t get anything done I’ll blow up the phones next week. I was excited to be platinum this year
Score hidden · 1 hour ago
Bonvoy dm, they contacted the hotel and said despite the certificate NOW not being enough that the hotel would accept it and go back to the old reservation number and the St. Regis emailed me saying just sorry we made a mistake. When I look at my night at the ritz it still shows my night being 85k points so we’ll see.
Mar 15, 2019, 6:17 am
#246
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 284
D
Had luck on finding a great rep on my first try. Attached a 7 night very to my PA with no issues by adding points to the reservations. Also had luck attaching an expiring 7 night cert to a future PA reservation as well. Rep canceled my NC cert and reissued one for the now cat 5 hotel. Cert expires in Oct, reservation for Dec 2019
Mar 15, 2019, 6:20 am
#247
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
So they CAN attach a cert 5 to a points advance reservation that was booked prior to March 5 when the hotel was cert 5, even if the hotel has gone up to cert 6 since March 5?
Mar 15, 2019, 8:08 am
#248
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 486
Had luck on finding a great rep on my first try. Attached a 7 night very to my PA with no issues by adding points to the reservations. Also had luck attaching an expiring 7 night cert to a future PA reservation as well. Rep canceled my NC cert and reissued one for the now cat 5 hotel. Cert expires in Oct, reservation for Dec 2019
1. Which number did you call?
2. Were these both TP certificates, and if so OC or NC? From what I understand the second one was already an NC and was essentially extended/reissued to meet your AP reservation dates.
3. For the first PA reservation: did the agent convert the certificate to the higher hotel category, or did they somehow just add a combination of points and the old certificate to the AP reservation?
4. Were the additional points taken from your account, or were they first added and then taken?
5. For the second PA reservation: did you go from an NC4 to an NC5, or did you already have an NC5? If it was an NC4 did the agent take 60k out of your account to reissue it as an NC5 or did they comp the 60k before converting?
Mar 15, 2019, 8:56 am
#249
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 2,028
Would be very disappointed if I can't use my 35K CC certificate when it posts on a PA reservation for a 35K property that moved up to 50K.
Another DP that I called yesterday to book a 60K room that went up to 85K which I had reserved using PA. It took ~20 minutes but got it done without any issues.
Another DP that I called yesterday to book a 60K room that went up to 85K which I had reserved using PA. It took ~20 minutes but got it done without any issues.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:49 am
#250
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
Would be very disappointed if I can't use my 35K CC certificate when it posts on a PA reservation for a 35K property that moved up to 50K.
Another DP that I called yesterday to book a 60K room that went up to 85K which I had reserved using PA. It took ~20 minutes but got it done without any issues.
Another DP that I called yesterday to book a 60K room that went up to 85K which I had reserved using PA. It took ~20 minutes but got it done without any issues.
I cancelled my 60K PA reservation of RC Tokyo and booked a traditional Japanese style AirBnB for $150 instead. Just not worth the hassle anymore
Mar 15, 2019, 7:00 pm
#251
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,738
Had luck on finding a great rep on my first try. Attached a 7 night very to my PA with no issues by adding points to the reservations. Also had luck attaching an expiring 7 night cert to a future PA reservation as well. Rep canceled my NC cert and reissued one for the now cat 5 hotel. Cert expires in Oct, reservation for Dec 2019
From what I can deduce -
1) you are able to upgrade a cert by adding pts, then to use the cert to a PA reservation.
2) you are able to extend an NC to attach to a PA for Dec stay at a property that has gone up in Cat but you do not need to pay extra pts.
Are the above events you were lucky enough to accomplish on the same phone call? If so, then you have found the unicorn of a competent AND willing agent! Which call center you called? I am sure many readers would like to know!
Mar 18, 2019, 2:14 pm
#252
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 284
Could you please share a few details?
1. Which number did you call?
2. Were these both TP certificates, and if so OC or NC? From what I understand the second one was already an NC and was essentially extended/reissued to meet your AP reservation dates.
3. For the first PA reservation: did the agent convert the certificate to the higher hotel category, or did they somehow just add a combination of points and the old certificate to the AP reservation?
4. Were the additional points taken from your account, or were they first added and then taken?
5. For the second PA reservation: did you go from an NC4 to an NC5, or did you already have an NC5? If it was an NC4 did the agent take 60k out of your account to reissue it as an NC5 or did they comp the 60k before converting?
1. Which number did you call?
2. Were these both TP certificates, and if so OC or NC? From what I understand the second one was already an NC and was essentially extended/reissued to meet your AP reservation dates.
3. For the first PA reservation: did the agent convert the certificate to the higher hotel category, or did they somehow just add a combination of points and the old certificate to the AP reservation?
4. Were the additional points taken from your account, or were they first added and then taken?
5. For the second PA reservation: did you go from an NC4 to an NC5, or did you already have an NC5? If it was an NC4 did the agent take 60k out of your account to reissue it as an NC5 or did they comp the 60k before converting?
2. Both NC that were converted from OC. Yes, the NC was extended without question. I recall Marriott saying they will not extend these.
3. Both NC certs were 1-4 and applied to pre-devaluation Cat 5
4. None were taken away, rep added points to make it whole.
5. Answer 3
Mar 18, 2019, 2:17 pm
#253
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 284
We need more details.
From what I can deduce -
1) you are able to upgrade a cert by adding pts, then to use the cert to a PA reservation.
2) you are able to extend an NC to attach to a PA for Dec stay at a property that has gone up in Cat but you do not need to pay extra pts.
Are the above events you were lucky enough to accomplish on the same phone call? If so, then you have found the unicorn of a competent AND willing agent! Which call center you called? I am sure many readers would like to know!
From what I can deduce -
1) you are able to upgrade a cert by adding pts, then to use the cert to a PA reservation.
2) you are able to extend an NC to attach to a PA for Dec stay at a property that has gone up in Cat but you do not need to pay extra pts.
Are the above events you were lucky enough to accomplish on the same phone call? If so, then you have found the unicorn of a competent AND willing agent! Which call center you called? I am sure many readers would like to know!
Mar 18, 2019, 5:24 pm
#254
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,738
Sorry for the delay, unfortunately # 1 did not happen. Was an NC 1-4 and I applied it to a PA Cat 5 but was cat 4 at booking. #2 did happen tho surprisingly without any issue. Did not recall which center I got but had a heavy hispanic accent.
I assume the rep issued extra pts to change the cert value then attached the cert to the PA booking, instead of just slapped the old category cert to the PA booking. (the latter may post issues at check in while the former would be the correct way to do it.)
You may have gotton a rep based in Mexico City. A friend got one a week ago and he said the rep was the most competent he had ever gotten calling the US number, though the rep still refused to do the upgrade of cert to him but very swiftly finish cert conversion and attachment.
Mar 20, 2019, 7:32 pm
#255
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 1,778
I have a 3 night reservation booked for May before the category went up. Turned out the first two nights price went down significantly, so I would rather pay cash. Is it possible to change the reservation to just the last night and keep the old category? If I change the dates online, it would give me the new price. Would changing the dates with the hotel or Marriott allow me to keep the original night?
